Maybe the French aren't so bad after all: "Swimming Pool"

It goes like this: My wife says we should go to Paris, I roll my eyes. Every time.

I've been to Paris, and even if it was for only two days, with me just doing the tourist thing -- look kids, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame! -- that was good enough. Just not a big fan of the French, from the smoking to the rudeness to the B.O. That Jerry Lewis business doesn help, either.

After seeing "Swimming Pool," however, I'll go to France just to find Ludivine Sagnier. Sweet fancy Moses.

If you've never heard of Luddy -- I can call her that after the things we've done in my mind -- that's OK. I hadn't, either, knowing only that "Swimming Pool" had some hot young French girl often in various stages of undress. Turns out that was true, and at least for us non-"Brokeback" boys, that alone makes the movie worth your time.

Our story has a famous British author escaping to her publisher's French country home to write in peace and quiet, only to be interrupted by the guy's very naughty daughter. First, there's the walking around topless. Then we get the drinking and fornicating. Then more fornicating with another guy. Then the possibility of a threesome with the author as she gets sucked into the young girl's crazy world. Did I mention the fornicating?

The whole idea, I guess, is to see how this uptight fortysomething is corrupted by the wild young tramp, and both women are perfect in their roles. Charlotte Rampling ("Zardoz") really seems pissed at the girl at first, and remains stiff even as she can't help being drawn to her free spirit. As for Luddy, she arrives om screen with a flourish and is very European -- uninhibited, whiny and trashy. I gotta tell you, it really works for her. Really.

As for the plot, it was interesting enough before unraveling at the end. I won't ruin it, but let's just say I was left with a "huh?" feeling that didn't have to be. I understood everything, I think, but I liked where the movie was going before taking a left turn. It was kind of like -- but not as extreme as -- "Vanilla Sky." Well, and without the dipsh*t Scientologist as the lead.